'agulhas’

Off the Southern Coast of Africa two huge currents meet. One comes from cold depths of the Atlantic, and the other from the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Where they meet, near a place called Agulhas there is a truly remarkable explosion of life. The mixing of the nutrients from the depths of the Atlantic, with the warmth of the waters from the Indian Ocean provides the right ingredients for tiny organisms called phytoplankton to grow to huge numbers.

'small worlds'

Each piece in this series is about 30x30cms before framing. They are painted on paper in fine art acrylic.

These paintings are inspired by many conversations with Professor Lesley Smythies from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Lesley is a microbiologist interested in the immune system.

Our immune system is a vastly complex set of interacting biological systems, where astonishing scenarios are played out without simple instruction. Huge numbers of different molecules meet, react and are dispersed over long distances, to meet and interact with other players in the dance. This seemingly uncorreographed world is reliant on molecules' being able to recognise others as 'friend' or 'foe' and respond accordingly.

'within and without you'

Each piece in this series is about 30x30cms before framing. They are painted on paper in fine art acrylic.

These paintings start life through a partnership between the hand and the eye, and the elemental force of gravity. These are drip paintings, where paint is allowed to wander and be redirected in a ballet of chance and intention. They have a consequent organic nature and refer to the complex networks that grow spontaneously throughout the living world.

Some biological networks, like the intricate web of interactions between proteins within our cells, are superbly, and thankfully, resilient. Part random , part modular they grow spontaneously, finding their resilience by reducing their fragility to disruption, to just a small number of replaceable links.